Gunmen kill 1, injure 6 in Dunkirk
Published:Wednesday | December 6, 2023 | 12:14 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Bloodstains lined adjoining streets of Dunkirk in Kingston following Tuesday’s mass shooting inside the Michael Manley Market located on Pine Street in the war-torn community.
A man, who was identified as ‘Tyson’, was killed and six others, including a one-year-old boy, were shot and injured in the grisly attack which occurred about 12:50 p.m.
Residents were sent scampering as the heavily armed men fired indiscriminately.
When the shooting ended, the residents said they saw a black motorcar hastily leaving the scene.
The injured were taken to hospital, where they were being treated up to press time last night.
When The Gleaner visited the location, residents were in shock, questioning the motive behind such an attack at a popular food spot.
Reports suggests the injured mother and child were walking along the roadway and got caught in the shooting.
“The woman not even did know she was shot … . A when she a run pass we see the blood and tell her. The baby get shot and not even a cry and big people get shot and bawl,” one resident said, recalling the mayhem.
A man, who just returned from the hospital after transporting an injured relative, told The Gleaner that it was chaos at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) as people turned up with gunshot injuries.
“We up deh and people jus a say, ‘See one more deh again’. When dem carry di dead man a hospital, the whole a him face shoot off,” the man said.
He said he had warned his relative to be careful because the community is tense and attacks seem to occur where people gather.
“Is an awful scene mi a tell you … ,” a resident added.
Our news team was told that not even the presence of an army vehicle proved a deterrent to the attackers.
“All when the soldier dem drive up, shot still a beat. A nuh likkle shot a beat, y’know … . Anybody a target right now to how the place stay if dem can see the baby and still a shoot,” one resident said.
Some residents say the deadly incident could now put a damper on the Christmas season for the entire community.
Since the start of the year, Dunkirk has been rocked by several multiple-death incidents.
A man and his nephew was shot dead on November 9 on West Avenue while loading a moving truck to flee the community.
On October 16, National Heroes Day, three men were executed on neighbouring Bray Street.
“Better the police and soldier live ‘bout ya because if it a gwan so when the lawman dem deh ya (doing regular patrols), … when dem gone a worries,” one surmised.
The police said they will be maintaining a presence in the community.
The Kingston Eastern Police division recorded a decline in murders and shootings this year up to December 2.
There have been 63 murders in the division this year, seven less than the corresponding period in 2022.
On the shooting side, there were nine fewer reports.
The national murder tally is 1,282, which represents a 10 per cent reduction year-on-year.